Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time Rose and Zieke fell in love, but it turns out their happily ever after was far from guaranteed. Set in a café against the backdrop of an increasingly hostile world, the Narrator of their story will do whatever it takes to give them the happy ending she craves.

‘Once Upon a Time’ is a grown-up fairytale designed to explore the themes of love and how we deal with loss in a changing world, without taking itself too seriously.

Playwrights - Allison Lancey & Joel Stibbard

Joel Stibbard

Contrary to the idiom "you can't teach an old dog new tricks", Joel has found a love for the creative arts in his forties, most notably moving from performing on the sporting field to the theatre. Joel recently starred alongside Alison in a production of 'The Game’s Afoot' with the Newcastle Theatre Company, during which they began to write 'Once Upon a Time'.

Joel has found his career in science to be anathema to creative writing, however his newfound passion for storytelling has been beneficial to his work as an ecologist, educating landholders and the general public through webinars and workshops on the importance of conserving wildlife for our own future. While most of Joel's short stories remain in his head, he hopes the process involved with bringing 'Once Upon a Time' to the stage can breathe life into those as well.

Alison Lancey

Having harboured a desire to write for years, Alison was excited that her very first play was awarded runner up in the 2024 Lake Macquarie One Act Play Festival which provided ample motivation to continue to write for theatre. The process of writing in collaboration for the first time has been rewarding, and fortunately she remains friends with Joel despite the creative differences that occurred while writing ‘Once Upon a Time’!

In her spare time, Alison works as a local GP and specialist medical educator with the local Primary Health Network and the RACGP. She uses her love of performing and educating to make difficult topics accessible to all, particularly discussions around domestic, family, and sexual violence.